Prelude to the Demon Castle War
by Satoryu
Summary: Saint Germain tells of what occurred one year before the fated final battle between Dracula and Julius Belmont.


**Prelude to the Demon Castle War**

Nostradamus predicted that at the turn of the millennium, a great war between light and darkness would be waged. Not all of his predictions came true, mind you. However, this one in particular did. This war would be the final battle in a struggle that lasted for hundreds of years. Count Dracula, the vampire in control of all creatures of the night, was the darkness Nostradamus saw. And the light was personified as the human race. Those fighting for humanity were a clan of vampire hunters carrying the name Belmont and their allies in arms. Wielding a whip that can destroy demons, monsters, and the like, the Belmont clan has battled with Dracula since his creation in the 11th century. Each time a Belmont slayed Dracula, he would be resurrected by his followers, more powerful than before. But as Dracula's power grew, so did the Belmonts'. The year 1999 was to see Dracula's strongest reincarnation yet. A power so great, not even the mighty Belmonts could face him alone.

Oh, forgive me. I have not introduced myself. I am Saint Germain. I am an observer of time. The near millennium-long struggle between the Belmonts and Dracula has always been an interesting and engaging one to me. I have witnessed its beginning, as well as its end and what the future held for the victor of the so called Demon Castle War. While I am not permitted to tell of my observations of this event, I believe I can set the scene for you.

Let us go back one year prior; 1998. In a moderately sized wooden shack on the outskirts of the Romanian forests lived Charlotte Morris and her family. Charlotte was one of the two individuals who slayed the Count fifty four years prior. The other was her deceased husband Jonathan. The elderly Charlotte, a great scholar and magician, was rummaging through various books in her study. Ever since the Vampire Killer was given to the Morris family in the 19th century, the Morrises lost touch with their Belmont relatives. Charlotte was looking through various European directories and phone books trying to locate a Belmont. No progress was made for nearly ten years. She let out a sigh of fatigue and frustration. As she did so, the door to the study opened. Through it came a middle aged woman, tall and thin with long cherry red hair. "Still no luck, Mom?"

Charlotte turned to the woman. "Sadly no, dear. I've checked all around Europe and even America. I just cannot get in contact with a Belmont."

The woman put her hand over Charlotte's. "Just give it time, Mom. I'm sure we'll get a hold of them very soon. Just be patient."

Charlotte smiled. "Yes, that's right. I must remember that. Thank you, Dolly. By the way, what's Eric doing?"

Charlotte was referring to her son Eric. Though she and Jonathan married shortly after their victory, they waited five years before having a child. Eric, named after a good friend and ally of the two, Eric Lecarde, was the spitting image of his great grandfather Quincy, save for inheriting Charlotte's brown hair. Five years after Eric's birth, Jonathan's life was cut short thanks to overusing the Vampire Killer. His father and grandfather had suffered the same fate. Thusly, while Eric would be the current wielder of the Vampire Killer, he was never taught how to use it. Eric lived a happy life despite losing his father. At age 24, he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Wright. Charlotte called her by the nickname Dolly.

"Eric's outside watching the kids spar," Dorothy said. "I was just going to go join him. Wanna come along? Take a break?"

"In a little while, Dolly," Charlotte sighed.

"Okay, Mom," Dorothy said as she walked out of the study. "Just don't overdo it." It was only a few dozen steps to reach the back door of the shack. Outside was a vast field of grass surrounded by the trees of the Transylvanian forest.

Eric had his back pressed against the side of the shack. "Decided to watch them, eh hon?" he asked his wife. Dorothy let out a quick "mm-hmm" with a nod. Eric continued, "How's Mom doing?"

"She's getting really tired," Dorothy answered. "I'm worried she'll push herself too far."

"Hmm," Eric mused. "I don't think she will. She's aware of her age. She won't overdo it." He and Dorothy turned their attention to the two young women running in the field. One was tall with a firm build and short blonde hair with a long thin ponytail wielding a large decorative spear. The other was shorter, had red hair like Dorothy, and was surrounded by four animals.

The taller woman was Eric and Dorothy's oldest daughter Jacqueline, age 24. Like her father, Jacqueline was never taught how to use the Vampire Killer she inherited. Instead, she taught herself how to wield a different family heirloom: the Alucard Spear, given to her by Eric Lecarde's daughters, Stella and Loretta. She began using it at the age of eight and has since mastered it. "It's your turn to go on the offensive!" Jacqueline called to the smaller girl.

"Alright!" she called. "I won't hold back!" This girl was Jacqueline's 15 year old sister, Rose. Rose too inherited an old family heirloom. Formerly used two centuries prior by Belmont relative Maria Renard, Rose was born with the ability to summon the four great beasts of the Chinese zodiac: Suzaku the phoenix, Byakko the tiger, Genbu the tortoise, and Seiryu the dragon. They would act as her familiars. Rose also learned to use a small pistol for emergencies.

Rose pointed to Jacqueline. This signaled Suzaku to zoom toward her. Jacqueline prepared to block the incoming attack with her spear. Suzaku made contact with the spear, but flew upwards and prepared to dive into Jacqueline. As Suzaku closed in, Jacqueline sidestepped. The bird continued swooping at Jacqueline, and Jacqueline continued to parry and evade.

Charlotte closed a large book of Nostadamus' predictions and yawned. "Maybe I am pushing myself a little much," she said to herself. She looked up from her desk to the wall. Hanging on a nail was the Vampire Killer. "Don't worry Jon," she sighed, "I won't strain myself more than I have to. It wouldn't be a very good example for the kids, now would it?" As she finished her sentence, the telephone rang. "Who in the world could that be?" she asked. She picked the phone up as it rang the second time.

An automated voice answered. "This is a long distance phone call from Nagoya, Japan."

"Japan?" Charlotte asked in bewilderment. "Who from Japan could possibly be calling here?"

A young male voice then spoke. "Hello. Is this the Morris household?" Surprisingly, the voice spoke perfect English.

Charlotte hesitated slightly, then responded, "Yes. This is Charlotte Morris. May I ask who's calling?"

"Oh, yes, of course. My name is Shinichi Belnades."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "Did you say Belnades? THE Belnades?"

"The very same. Surprising, isn't it?"

"Indeed! I had no idea the clan had migrated to Japan. Oh my goodness, it's so nice to talk to you."

"The feeling's mutual. How is everyone in Romania?"

"Oh we're all fine. I'm actually a little worn out. I've been trying to get in contact with the Belmonts for some time now."

Shinichi chuckled. "Well that's actually the reason why I'm calling."

Charlotte stood up quickly. "You know where the Belmonts are? Oh, thank goodness!"

"Yes, I know where the current Belmont is. In fact, he's here in Nagoya."

"Oh! No wonder I couldn't find him anywhere in Europe or America."

"Ah, I see. Yes, Julius is studying here in Nagoya as a foreign exchange student."

"Wow. So have you met him?"

"Actually," Shinichi laughed, "we only met the other day when he visited the shrine my family belongs to. He was as surprised as you were to learn that the Belnades family was currently residing in Japan. He asked me to get in contact with you for him. Now that he's completed high school, he believes it would be best if he made his way over to Romania to prepare."

"Oh yes, I see." Charlotte paused. "Um, I hope this isn't intruding, but why wouldn't Julius contact us himself?"

Shinichi chuckled. "No, you're not intruding. You see, Julius came down with a sore throat just yesterday. He can barely talk right now."

"Oh. I understand now," Charlotte laughed.

Shinichi changed the subject. "I trust you still have the Vampire Killer?"

"But of course. My granddaughter is all ready to give the whip back to Julius."

"Now, there are no commercial flights that go to your area. So we'll be coming by military escort. We should be there anywhere between a week and twenty days."

"We, you say? You're coming with him?"

"Oh, but of course. I am a Belnades, after all. It's in our blood to assist the Belmonts."

"Ah, that makes sense," Charlotte chuckled. "I have Belnades blood in me, too. I should've known that. We'll take good care of you guys. You'll think of us as family very quickly, I assure you."

"I believe you. I'd also like you to teach me a little about offensive magic. I've only really mastered support spells as of right now."

"Certainly, I'd be glad to."

"Okay, thank you so much." Shinichi continued, "Actually, my sensei will also be coming with us. He's hypothesizing a way to prevent Dracula from ever coming back. He thinks you might be able to help him."

"Prevent him from coming back, you say? I must hear about this."

"Okay, I have to let you go now. It was nice talking to you, _Charlotte-san_."

"It was nice talking to you too, Shinichi."

"_Ja ne_."

"Good bye." Charlotte hung the phone up and raced outside. The sun began setting. Jacqueline and Rose were still sparring. Rose had called back Suzaku and sent Seiryu, the largest of the four beasts, to take its place. As Seiryu charged at Jacqueline, Charlotte opened the back door and called, "I have good news, everyone!"

Jacqueline turned her head toward her grandmother. "What?" she asked. As she finished her question, Seiryu rammed into Jacqueline's stomach, pushing her onto the ground hard.

Charlotte, Eric and Dorothy all gasped. "Jackie!" Rose called out in frustration. "Pay attention! You're lucky he aimed for your stomach. If he went for the head, he would've taken it off!"

"Are you all right?" Eric called to Jacqueline.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. "I've taken harder hits than that."

Eric wiped his brow with a "phew." Dorothy put her hand over her heart. "Oh, thank goodness."

Jacqueline got to her feet. "I'm fine. Don't you worry about me." She looked to Charlotte again. "So what's the news, Grandma?"

Rose ran up to Charlotte. "Yeah, Grandma Carrie, what's up? Did you get a hold of the Belmonts?"

Charlotte smiled. "Actually, a Belnades just contacted me. He told me that he and Julius Belmont will be flying in from Japan in a week the earliest. It's best we start preparing for their arrival."

Rose clasped her hands together and smiled. "Wow! From Japan? That's awesome!"

Jacqueline tilted her head. "A Belnades, you say? You mean one of your distant relatives?"

"That's right," Charlotte smiled. "Come on inside. I'll tell you all about it."

It took Julius and company ten days to fly to Romania. During that time, the Earth's military forces began to mobilize in fear of a global scale invasion of demons. It was the first time the Earth experienced global peace and cooperation. Jacqueline and Rose continued to hone their skills, and Charlotte continued researching Nostradamus' predictions. Charlotte also contacted the Lecarde sisters, who also began making their way to the Transylvanian forests.

On the day of Julius' arrival, the Morris family patiently waited outside the front door of the shack. Charlotte nervously looked around and bit her thumb. "What's the matter, Grandma Carrie?" Rose asked her.

"It's Stella and Loretta," Charlotte answered. "They should have been here by now. Where could they be? We need them to release the seal on the Vampire Killer."

Standing in the field ahead of the shack, Alucard Spear on her back and Vampire Killer in hand, Jacqueline looked into the distance. Above the throng of dark trees, towards the cliff where Castlevania once stood. "Something doesn't feel right," Jacqueline said. "There's a weird aura coming from the castle's ruins."

"You don't think Dracula's been resurrected prematurely, do you?" Eric asked his daughter.

"No. If it was Drac, the aura would be much stronger than what I'm feeling. Something's up there. And I want to find out." Jacqueline walked to her father and handed him the whip.

"I'll go too," Rose said as she stepped forward.

Eric looked down at the whip. "Are you two sure about this?"

Dorothy continued, "Maybe you should wait for Julius to arrive."

Charlotte put her hand on Dorothy's shoulder. "Let them go. Even if Julius comes before they get back, we still have to wait for Stella and Loretta. Besides, they've been through the woods before. This shouldn't even be a workout for them."

"Grandma's right," Jacqueline said. "If we're to fight with Julius, we can't be afraid to dirty our hands a little."

Eric and Dorothy sighed with a small grin. "We trust you'll come back unharmed," Dorothy said.

The two sisters winked and gave a thumbs up to their parents. "No problem!" they cheerily said in unison. Rose then ran towards the forest. "Come on, Jackie!" Jacqueline followed suit.

Dorothy put her arms around her husband. Eric put his arm over her shoulders. "That's our girls for you." He turned to his mother. "But are you sure we should let them fight with Julius? I know they can deal with the small fry of the forest, but..."

"There's power in numbers, Eric," Charlotte interrupted. "They'll be with Julius and Shinichi. And I'm sure Stella and Loretta would like to help as well. Besides, it's what your father would've wanted. If he was still alive right now, he'd be right there with them."

Eric smiled and looked at the whip again. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

A mile and a half of trees separated the Morris shack from Castlevania. Jacqueline and Rose had covered half that distance in only a few minutes. While the forest was normally swarming with skeletons, bats, and giant spiders, the sisters encountered none of the sort. "Something's really fishy," Jacqueline shouted to her sister.

"Yeah, where are all the baddies?" Rose added. As the thick forest began to open up, the girls stopped. "It's getting stronger," Rose said of the ruins' aura.

"That's not all," Jacqueline added. "I feel something else. A person. And he's coming towards us." She raised her spear preparing to intercept. Rose summoned Genbu and held him in front of her like a shield.

A figure appeared in the trees. A human figure blackened by the thick forest. As it floated down towards the Morris sisters, it became clearer. It was a young female with long purple hair wearing a pale yellow button-down shirt with a green tie, green slacks, and black heels. Her right eye was an emerald green, her left eye a crimson red. "Jacqueline! Rose!" the woman exclaimed. "I was just coming to get you!"

"Loretta!" the sisters shouted as they lowered their guards and ran up to her. "So this is where you two have been," Rose said.

"I take it you felt the castle's aura too?" Loretta asked. Despite being nearly eighty years old, Loretta and her sister looked as if they were still in their mid-twenties. In 1944, they were turned into vampires by the artist Brauner. Thanks to Charlotte's magic prowess, they were given back their human bodies and released from Brauner's control. However, they retained one vampiric trait: they will never age. Neither sister married, so they would forever remain as the last of the Lecarde bloodline. "Stella's getting a closer look," she continued. "Come see."

The three women exited the forest to see a large wall of red light in front of Castlevania's ruins. At its "gate" was another young woman with purple hair. She turned to the others. "Well, that was quick." While Loretta's was down to her waist, this woman's hair was tied in loops at the side of her head. She wore a frilly indigo shirt unbuttoned, a reddish skirt that came up to her knees, and heeled leather boots. A fencing epee was sheathed and hung on her left hip. Her eyes were the opposite of Loretta's; her right eye was red and her left green.

"They actually came to see us, Stella," Loretta said.

"Well," Jacqueline interjected, "we didn't know you two would be here."

"We were worried about that aura," Rose finished. "So this is it, huh?"

"Yep," Stella answered. "It just showed up as were nearly got to your house. We had to check it out."

"What do you suppose it is?" Jacqueline pondered.

A cackle echoed in the distance. "I believe I can answer that, my dears," a voice bellowed. From behind the red wall of light appeared a cloud of black smoke. It swirled like a hurricane. From its center emerged the upper torso of a skeleton wearing a royal blue hooded cloak and holding a large scythe in its hand.

The Morris sisters' eyes widened. The Lecardes did the same as they exclaimed, "Death!" Stella unsheathed her epee.

"Ah," Death exclaimed as he noticed who stood before him, "the Lecarde sisters. And these women carry the scent of Morris. Interesting..."

Jacqueline stepped forward and tightened her grip on the Alucard Spear. "Yeah, yeah. We're the Morrises. Enough about us. What's up with this wall?" she shouted.

"Well, if you must know, this barrier is to prevent anyone from interfering with the great battle to occur one year from now. Nuisances like you cannot interfere with the resurrection of Lord Dracula and his castle, nor can the creatures of the night take the lives of any humans. Lord Dracula must have as large a kingdom as possible when he finally claims victory."

"Oh, that's a laugh!" Rose yelled. "The Belmonts have always killed that bat-head, and Julius will do the same. In fact, he'll stop him from ever coming back!"

Death laughed heartily. "Oh ho ho, the innocence of a child! How amusing."

"So what you're saying," Stella mused, "is that none of your minions will be out and about until Dracula is resurrected?"

"That would explain why there were no monsters in the forest," Loretta said to herself.

"Correct, Stella," Death responded. "Their strength was used to create this barrier. Lord Dracula created it himself from beyond the world of the living using the Crimson Stone. It is impenetrable from both sides. Not even I can pass through this barrier. I must wait here for the castle to reemerge. This is all to ensure that fate plays out as it should."

The ladies lowered their guard. "Fate..." Jacqueline said to herself.

Death continued, "Lord Dracula is giving humanity a short reprieve. You can enjoy a time of peace for the next year. But once the Lord has returned to the world of the living, expect our underlings to ravage the planet in numbers never before witnessed!" Death raised his scythe towards the forest. "So I suggest you leave this place. There's nothing for you to do here. Enjoy your time of peace, humans." Death disappeared in a puff of black smoke. "And if you see Belmont," his voice echoed, "tell him my master will be eagerly awaiting their destined confrontation." His cackle slowly disappeared into the distance.

A camouflaged helicopter flew over the trees and hovered over the Morrises' front lawn. Charlotte, Eric and Dorothy watched as the helicopter began landing. The instant the helicopter touched the grass, its rotors began to slow down and its side hatch opened. A young man appeared behind the door and quickly hopped down to the ground. He wore camouflaged pants, black boots; and a tight black bodysuit underneath. His long hair was a glossy black and in a high ponytail. His eyes were covered by black sunglasses. "All clear, perimeter secure," he said authoritatively as he looked around him. "It is safe to exit the helicopter, gentlemen."

A slightly older man, appeared to be in his early thirties, hopped down from the helicopter next. His attire was that of a Shinto priest, save for shorter sleeves. He had a cheery face with blue eyes. His hair was shaven. Charlotte walked up to him and offered her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Charlotte Morris."

The man shook Charlotte's hand and bowed his head. "It is nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Morris. My name is Yoshinori Hakuba, head priest of the Hakuba Shrine. You can call me Yoshi, if you like."

Eric and Dorothy walked up to Yoshi. Charlotte gestured to Eric. "This is my son, Eric." She then gestured to Dorothy. "And this is his wife, Dorothy."

The two bowed to Yoshi. "Nice to meet you," they said in unison.

"Hmm," Yoshi put his hand to his chin, "where are your granddaughters, Mrs. Morris?"

Charlotte looked to the forest. "Uh," she started nervously. As she did so, Jacqueline, Rose, and the Lecarde sisters emerged from the forest. Her face lit up. "Speak of the devil! There they are!" she exclaimed in slight surprise.

The four ladies walked up to the rest and looked to Yoshi. "So, are all four of these yours?" he asked Eric and Dorothy.

The Morrises and Lecardes laughed. "No, sir," Loretta said through a laugh. "We're not related to the Morrises," she said as she pointed to Stella. "We're the Lecardes. My name is Loretta."

"I'm Stella," Stella followed. "I assume you're Mr. Hakuba?"

"Yes I am," Yoshi said. He then laughed. "You all are just so young, I wasn't sure who was who."

Rose continued, "I'm Rose Morris, Mr. Hakuba." She gestured to Jacqueline. "And this is my older sister, Jackie."

Jacqueline offered her hand to Yoshi. "Jacqueline Morris," she smiled.

Yoshi shook her hand. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Yoshinori Hakuba, but you can call me Yoshi."

Rose looked to the young military man. "And who are you, sir?"

The man stood to attention. "Sergeant Nathan Kishine. Special Operations."

A voice came from the cockpit of the helicopter. "Can you ever relax, Nate? Talk casually for once, dammit!" Another young man, about the same age as Nathan, jumped out of the cockpit. He also wore camouflaged pants, black boots, and sunglasses. He wore no shirt, and had a red bandana tied around his forehead. His hair was short, brown, and spiky. He took his glasses off to reveal his brown eyes. "How are you doing, everyone? I'm Hugh DaNasty. I'm a Sergeant in the British Military's Special Operations along with Nathan over there. We specialize in stealth and reconnaissance."

Nathan continued, still authoritatively, "We are here to escort Mr. Hakuba, Mr. Belnades, and Mr. Belmont to your location and assist them in their mission to eliminate Count Dracula."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Hugh said. He turned to the Helicopter. "What's taking you guys so long?" he shouted inside.

Shinichi's voice called back, "We're trying to lug all of Julius' luggage out! We could use some help!"

"Oh, of course," Hugh said. "Come on, Nate." The two jumped back into the helicopter. They came back out in a few seconds carrying three large suitcases.

Two young men then hopped out of the helicopter, empty handed. One was in his mid-twenties with short blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a pale complexion. He wore white slacks, a blue hooded sweatshirt, and white sneakers. On his back was a gold staff. "We didn't mean do the work for us," he said to Hugh and Nathan.

"You're complaining, Shinichi?" the other man asked. He was younger than Shinichi, but he was a few inches taller. He had shaggy brown hair tied in a short ponytail and a small goatee. He wore a black T-shirt, red jeans, a trench coat, a red bandana around his neck, and cowboy boots. He turned to the Morrisses and Lecardes. "It's nice to finally meet you all. I'm Julius."

"Same here," Charlotte said. "I could feel your strength from a mile away. The same goes for you, Shinichi."

Shinichi chuckled. "I don't think I'm THAT powerful. Anyway, I am Shinichi Belnades. Nice to meet you, everyone." He smiled, revealing his shiny white teeth.

Stella leaned toward Loretta and whispered to her, "He's cute."

Loretta whispered back, "More than cute. He's gorgeous!"

Eric held out the Vampire Killer to Jacqueline. "Here. You're going to need this, right?"

Jacqueline took the whip from her father. "Thanks." She then turned to the Lecarde sisters. "You guys ready?" They nodded and closed their eyes. They glowed with a bright aura. As the aura grew, Jacqueline walked over to Julius. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Julius. We Morrisses have guarded this whip for your family for two hundred years now. And now is the time for you to take it back. I know you'll use it well."

"Thank you," Julius said, "and your forefathers for holding on to the Vampire Killer. Some of those who came before you gave their lives to defeat Dracula and defend the whip. Words cannot describe the amount of gratitude me and my family have for them for doing so. You've done so much for us, and now it's time me to relieve you of this burden." He took hold of the whip.

Jacqueline did not yet let go. "It was no burden, Julius. My grandfather was honored to use this whip. So were his father and grandfather. And just because the whip is yours again, I'm not going to sit on the sidelines. Instead of fighting for you, it's time we Morrisses fought alongside the Belmonts." She turned to her sister. "Right, Rose?"

"You bet," Rose winked.

Jacqueline let go of the whip. As she did so, the aura around Stella and Loretta flew into the whip, releasing its seal. "The same goes for us," Loretta said as she opened her eyes.

Stella continued, "We've done so much for both the Belmonts and the Morrisses. The least we could do is give you some help."

Shinichi put his hand on Julius' shoulder. "No question, I'm going with you too, Jules. It's practically in my blood to assist you."

Hugh put his sunglasses on the top of his head. "My family still has a score to settle with that vampire. And we haven't been able to assist the Belmonts in a long time. I feel like I owe you."

"I too wish to face Dracula in combat," Nathan added. "He used my ancestor as a host to come back into this world." He clenched his fist. "I do not want anyone to ever face that fate again. I was ordered to assist you in combat, Julius. But I would have come to your aid even if my superiors forbid it. I want to help you, just like everyone else does."

Julius smiled at Nathan. "So you're not a robot after all."

Yoshi smiled. "An evil like him should never walk this Earth. I'll do all that I can to assure that he never comes back. I'll perfect my theory, I promise."

Charlotte nodded. "I'll be sure to help you with that, Yoshi. Julius, I've fought Dracula before, and I can tell you he is no pushover. But as long as you believe in the whip and those you care about, you'll win."

Dorothy tilted her head and smiled. "I guess that leaves us, right Eric? What could we do?"

"Well, we're letting everyone stay at our house," Eric answered. "I guess that's all we can do: give everyone food and shelter. That's important, right?"

"Right," Dorothy continued. "When that day comes, we'll be rooting for you. And we and Mom will always be here if you need to rest."

Julius looked down at the whip in his hands. "Thank you. Thank you all. Your desire to help me fills me up with confidence. There's strength in numbers, right?" He looked up with a righteous fire in his eyes. "Well, with you guys with me, and all those that came before us watching from above, we'll be able to crush anything that damned bathead throws our way." Julius then turned towards Castlevania and cracked the Vampire Killer on the ground. "Watch out, Dracula! Cause next year, we'll put an end to your reign of terror once and for all!"

After that meeting, everyone began preparing for the upcoming battle with Dracula. Those who were to take on Dracula honed their skills. Charlotte taught Shinichi some of the offensive magic she had perfected. The Lecardes, Jacqueline and Rose relayed the information given to them by Death to Hugh and Nathan. They then contacted the world's armies, warning them of the swarm of demons and monsters that were to come. Yoshi discussed with Charlotte his theory. He was looking for a way to seal Castlevania, and Dracula by extension, inside the solar eclipse that was to occur when Dracula resurfaced. Charlotte assisted him in doing so, incorporating her expertise of western magic into Yoshi's eastern rituals. However, they had difficulty finding a way to ensure Dracula would not emerge from the next eclipse.

The red wall of light around Castlevania's ruins grew brighter by the day. Death periodically appeared to check the barrier. He also looked past the wall to observe Julius and company. Each time, he let out a short cackle, then disappeared.

Meanwhile, on the night of Julius' arrival, on the outskirts of Romania, a coffin laid at the altar of an abandoned church. It was rather dusty, and its wooden frame was beginning to show from beneath its black paint coat. Its lid suddenly slid off. A pale, young-looking man sat up, brushing his silver hair off his face. This man was Dracula's Dhampir son, Adrian Farenheights Tepes. Or as he's more commonly known, Alucard. He looked at the sky from a hole in the church's ceiling. The moon was full, and the sky was void of clouds. He stood up, his cape flowing in the small breeze that crept through the front door. "It is time, Mother," Alucard said solemnly. "Soon, very soon, the planet will not have to suffer the destruction caused by Father any longer. In your name, I swear he shall walk the Earth no more."

Unfortunately, that's all I can reveal to you. What happened in 1999, the victor of the Demon Castle War, and the aftermath, you must find these out for yourself. What transpired may surprise you. I know it caught me off guard. I thank you for listening. Now, I must be off. There are many things I still want to observe. Perhaps we'll cross paths again some time.

Good day.


End file.
